Existing appliances exist that are used for filtering liquids, such as drinking water, which utilized disposable filter cartridges. Typically, a filtering medium such as charcoal is used, sometimes in combination with a screen or another porous article. Certain devices are attachable to a faucet or other liquid port, while others are stand-alone containers. Filter cartridges such as those using a charcoal medium are usually hard plastic housings having one or more inlets and outlets for liquid such as water to enter and exit, wherein the charcoal is in the path of the liquid between the inlet and the outlet.
Typical filter cartridges require relatively large sized compared to the space occupied by the volume of water being filtered and stored by a stand-alone appliance. Such filters, especially when used with other components in the appliance such as a refrigeration system or heating system, contribute to an undesirably excessive use of space. Furthermore, in order to ensure even flow and uniform filtering, the shape of the filter housing and the positioning of inlet and outlet ports sometimes demands relatively large space requirements.